In order to evaluate the quality of certain fibrous materials, such as cotton, before sale, a sample of the material from each bale is provided to an evaluating agency, typically a division of the USDA. This evaluation called ‘grading’ allows a bale, such as cotton, to be sold to customers without the entire product being seen. Further, before large quantities of the fibrous materials are stored for later sale, samples of the material may be obtained to be provided to perspective customers for testing, rather than transporting an entire bale to the perspective customer. In addition to facilitating the testing of a larger amount of material, obtaining samples from bales before the bales are bagged or otherwise encased in a protective covering ensures that the integrity of such protective covering remains intact. A sample is usually formed during the pressing process using a cutting protrusion (typically about ¾ inch high) on the pressing surface or surfaces, typically in a U shape. This cutting protrusion is forced into the fibers, severing them from the cohesive, intertwined body of the bale. Since the sample will be removed, it is practical to cut the sample between the areas where bale retention straps are typically placed. The cut sample will typically bulge from the side of the bale when the pressing force is removed since it is not bound to its neighboring fibers contained by bale retention straps. The sample generally retains an “uncut” side across a top length after the sample is cut with the aforementioned U-shaped cutter to retain the sample on the bale. Conventional methods for obtaining a sample from every bale requires intense manual labor with workers having to physically tear one or more samples, typically two, of material from the same bale and insert them into a bag or sleeve. In certain applications, a generally U-shape cutter is used to pre-cut a sample during a bale pressing and forming process for later manual removal by a worker. Not only are workers prevented from completing other tasks while they are obtaining samples, but repeating the same motion for long periods of time may lead to chronic injuries. Further, manually obtaining the samples increases the likelihood that the resulting samples will be nonuniformly sized, will be contaminated by substances on the workers hands, and will be more costly due to the added labor expense.